Door check



Patented" Feb. 4, 1936 DOOR CHECK Paul E. Frantz, Cleveland, Ohio,assignor to The Apex Electrical Manufacturing Company.

Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 1, 1983,Serial No. 654,634

2 Claims. (01. 16-86) This invention relates to door-checks and inparticular stop' devices for arresting the movement of a door after ithas swung to its open position.

It is the object of this invention to provide a simple and inexpensivecheck or stop for a door which operates to gradually and positivelyarrest a of the hinges engage the end portions of arcuv the movement ofthe door after it has been swung apredetermined distance in its openingdirection.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel construction, arrangement and combination of parts, hereinafterillustrated and described in some of its embodiments in the accompanyingdrawing, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a refrigeratorillustrating one mode of practicing the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 22, Figure 1,showing the details of the door-check. a

A refrigerator has been used to illustrate one use of the invention andin the drawing the numeral I indicates a refrigerator cabinet having adoor 2 provided with a latch 3 for securing the door in its closedposition. The door is mounted on a pair of hinges 4. The hinges aresecured to the frame of the refrigerator bymeans of a number of screwsand one of the securement screws of each hinge is provided with anelongated head 5 which is provided for detachably carrying a rubberblock 6 which cooperates with the edge 1 of the door 2 to provide a stopfor the door when it is swung to its open position on the hinges 4.

In Figure 2 the dotted line position of the door illustrates the mannerin which the rubber block cooperates with the door in providing agradually acting stop therefor. When the door is swung to the'dottedline position as illustrated in Figure 2 the edge I of the door engagesthe block and pinches it between the hinge and this portion of the door.The portion of the door which engages the rubber blocks is located nearthe axis of the hinges so that the door can swing through a considerabledistance for a slight compression of the blocks 6 and in this manner theopening swinging movement of the door is gradually checked and broughtto a stop.

In efiecting the operations just described the off-set edge I of thedoor and the movable parts ately formed elongated rubber blocks 6 whichinitially oppose the movement of the door in much the same manner as theyielding, compressible stops or bumpers of the type shown in the priorart in which a block of elastic material is compressed in a directionsubstantially tangent to the arc of movement of the door at the pointoi'5 contact.

In the prior art devices of the type referred to, further movement ofthe door serves to compress the stops or blocks still more in theindicated manner and direction.

The action of the door-check disclosed in this m application diifersfrom the prior art devices in that upon further movement of the doorfrom its initially retarded position the off-set edge I of the door alsoserves to engage and to actively compress the blocks in a directionnormal to the tangent referred-to or in-adirection substantiallyradially of the hinge. axis. This peculiar action results by reason ofthe fact that each of the blocks is formed and positioned so that itsouter edge extends at gradually increasing distances 20 outwardly from"the'arc of the circle described by the ofi-set edge I of the door aboutthe hinge axis. It is also essential in order to effect the gradualchecking of the door that the rubber be free to expand'in certaindirections so that the g5 resistance offered by the rubber is built up"gradually.

It is not absolutely necessary that the rubber be initially compressedin the tangent direction as the gradually increasing resistance offeredby 3 the block results primarily by reason of the configuration or shapeof the block as well as by reason of the manner in which it is engagedand compressed by the moving door. It may be true that the prior artdevices accomplish the gradual checking of a door or similar articlewhich accomplishment is one of the objects of this invention. Thisefiect in the prior art devices results primarily however from thecompressible character of the block of material used and not by 40reason of the novel shape or novel manner in which such block iscompressed as is the case in the present invention.

One of the important features of this invention is that of providing agradually acting stop which is simple and inexpensive and which is notapt to require servicing over extended periods of use. This invention issusceptible to uses other than in connection with refrigerator doors andthe refrigerator shown was selected merely for purposes of illustratingthe invention.

The invention is obviously capable of assuming other forms than the oneherein illustrated as will occur to one skilled in the art after aconsideration of this disclosure. An important feature ll of theinvention resides in the locating of a compressible block near the axisof the door so that it operates to provide a positive yet gradullyacting stop for the door. 1

Furthermore it is to be understood that the particular forms ofapparatus shown and described, and the particular procedure set forthare presented for purposes of explanation and that various modificationsof said apparatus and procedure can be made without departure from 20hinge in position to be pinched between the hinge m'ent of the door overan appreciable distance' and thus gradually bring the door to a stopafter it has been opened apredetermined distance.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a doorsupporting hinge and screw means for securing said hinge to a supportingstructure, of a block of soft, yielding, elastic material detachablycarried by the head of said screw means in position to be pinchedbetween the hinge and a part of the door located near the axis thereofwhen the door is swung to its open position, whereby the said blockopposes the movement of the door over an appreciable distance and thusgradually bring the door to a stop after it has been opened apredetermined distance.

PAUL E. FRANTZ.

